Rani’s Kerala Food & Heritage Tour 2023

Kerala is tantalizingly attractive, and so is its cuisine. Each region has its own taste and style of preparation. In this tour we focus on different cuisines - Syrian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Tamilian, Brahmins and coastal Fishermen, offering a mixed platter of Kerala cuisines. Kerala’s food is richly spiced with chili, cardamom, cloves, ginger, black pepper, and cinnamon but also enjoys the liberal use of fresh coconuts and coconut oil. We will be trying food ranging from simple vegetarian to sophisticated seafood.

Accommodation is in delightful and small, sustainable, family-owned charming hotels/resorts. We have also added a sumptuous houseboat journey through the Kerala backwaters, stopping at local villages & markets on the way.

We have brought you a diverse range of flavours and sensual experiences from the best selection of local dishes. On this tour, you will find that some of the best places to eat are not particularly luxurious but serve exceptional, authentic food.

Oct 10 - Cochin

On arrival we meet you at Cochin Airport and drive to Brunton Boatyard Hotel (1 hour drive). Overnight at Brunton Boatyard

Oct 11 – Cochin

After breakfast we start our day with Cochin sightseeing coupled with spice hunting. Rani and our specialist guide for this excursion will show the Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue, St. Francis Church, and Chinese fishing nets. We will also be visiting the spice market. We have also added the famed Dhobi Khana (traditional laundry) run by the Tamil community and pappads made by the Tulu community or the Udupi Brahmins. We spend the afternoon at Brunton Boatyard’s restaurant where we meet the chef who will prepare his specialty dishes coupled with a cooking demo. In the afternoon you are free to relax, do some shopping at Anokhi or stroll around Fort Cochin.  You can see a Kathakali dance performance in the evening (This can be arranged locally as an option). Evening to relax or take a walk around the old town. Dinner will be at History restaurant. Overnight at Brunton Boatyard.

Oct 12 – Cochin

Breakfast at hotel. The morning is spent relaxing at the hotel. In the afternoon we visit an Anglo-Indian family - Oscars house, where we relish their specialty Portuguese influenced food. Dinner will be had at the locally famous vegetarian restaurant and will be trying the world-famous Masala Dosa.  Overnight at Brunton Boatyard

Oct 13 – Cochin - Thekaddy (Periyar) (4.5 hrs drive)

After a leisurely breakfast we will drive towards the hills to reach Thekaddy (Periyar) - set in the green hills of spice plantations and home of the Periyar Wildlife Reserve - a sanctuary for a multitude of wild elephants, bears, bison, deer, boar, and the great Indian Tiger. On the way we shall stop at a 400-year-old ancestral house where we interact with the family and enjoy their Syrian Christian Kerala food. After lunch we continue to Thekaddy. Check in and relax. Buffet dinner is included at Spice Village. Overnight stay at Spice Village.

Oct 14– Thekaddy

Today morning after breakfast, we visit the spice plantation followed by shopping for the highest quality spices. Afternoon stroll around the little town of Kumily. In the afternoon we will visit nearby resort to enjoy a special, exclusive lunch. Dinner will be at ’50 Mile Diet’ Restaurant in Spice village. Overnight stay at Spice Village.

Oct 15 – Thekaddy

Morning after breakfast, get ready for an adventure drive and going downhill with stops at picturesque spots to reach Tamil Nadu (neighbouring state of Kerala). We visit vegetable farms, a fair-trade market and later enjoy the Tamil lunch set prepared exclusively for the group. After lunch we return to the hotel. In the evening we visit Sudheer’s house to witness a cooking demo followed by special dinner of the house. Overnight stay at Spice Village

Oct 16 – Thekaddy – Alleppey (2 hrs drive)

After breakfast we drive to the boarding point for the ‘kettuvallam’, the houseboats of Kerala. 

Enjoy a backwater cruise, lazing in this converted houseboat as it meanders through the tranquil network of water canals, dotted with busy hamlets, lush green paddy fields. Formed by the 40 odd rivers that flow down to the Arabian Sea from the Cardamom Hills, this network of canals, lakes and estuaries comprises one of India’s most enchanting areas - a rural, revering expanse of verdant coconut groves and rice paddies. The scene is idyllic, the mood romantic and the experience unforgettable. Lunch will be served on board. Later in the afternoon assist the cook for dinner and by evening join the group for supper.

These converted rice barges or "Kettuvallams" sail along shallow, palm-fringed lakes and narrow canals where coconut and cashew is loaded onto dugouts. You pass villages built on narrow spits of land, stopping to visit local markets, or to marvel at craftsmen engaged in the centuries-old boat-making tradition. The boats offer one or two cabins with a small sitting room and a crew of 2 staff and a chef. The food is authentic Kerala cuisine, with ingredients purchased fresh along the way. Dinner will be served onboard. Overnight on the houseboat.

Oct 17 – Houseboat

Full day cruise and stay overnight on the houseboat.

Lunch and Dinner will be served onboard.

Oct 18 – Alleppey – Mararikulam (1 hr drive)

After breakfast, we disembark from the houseboat and drive a short distance to reach the beach destination of Kerala – Mararikulam.  Enjoy your buffet lunch at the main restaurant. Relax for the day or rejuvenate with an Ayurvedic herbal massage. Today’s dinner highlights the specialty seafood of the region which will be served at a private spot. Overnight at Marari Beach Resort.

Oct 19 – Mararikulam 

Today we have an early start at 8 am. We will be using tuk tuks (Autorickshaw) as the best mode of transport to go through the narrow village. The highlight starts with the live fish auction. You can also take part in the auction and buy fish if you wish to. We will be experiencing village visit/walk and interact with locals and educating yourself with local information of the region. Lunch will be served with local cuisines at our heritage place. After lunch you will be taken back to the resort. In the evening we will enjoy the dinner curated especially for us at ‘The Farm Kitchen’ at the resort. Overnight at Marari Beach Resort.

Oct 20 – Marari – Cochin Airport0 (2 hrs drive)

After a leisurely breakfast, we check out from the resort and drive for 2.5 hours to Kalady – the birthplace of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. You will be welcomed to a Brahmin house where the lovely Chitra shows you how to make one of her specialty items, Avial – a mixture of 13 vegetables which is served as one of the dishes in the Sadya. Sadya is the Kerala feast with 22 items served on banana leaves.  After lunch we make a quick visit to Sri Krishna temple before heading to Cochin Airport.

Destination	Hotel	Room
Cochin	Brunton Boatyard	Sea Facing Room
Thekaddy (Periyar)	Spice Village	Spice Garden Cottage
Alleppey	Luxury houseboat	Two cabin houseboats
Mararikulam	Marari Beach Resort	Garden Villa